UC Santa Barbara (Audio)

Moderator Patrice Petro speaks with Scott Frank about the influence of German series Babylon Berlin on his own series, The Queen’s Gambit. Scott discusses multiple aspects of Babylon Berlin, including the score, location, plot structure, and production choices, which contributed to his appreciation of German history and television as well as influenced his own choices when making The Queen’s Gambit. Frank explores both the making of The Queen’s Gambit and his opinions on Babylon Berlin. He also comments on viewing habits in the modern era and whether the ability to watch episodes all in one sitting changes the way we experience television. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 37629]

Moderator James McNamara speaks with writer Ben Power about his adaptation of Shakespeare’s Richard III for the BBC series, The Hollow Crown. Power discusses various elements of the series, commenting on the casting choices, which included actors of color and the political context of the series, which was developed during a visible rise of authoritarian figures in the United Kingdom. He also speaks on the challenges of adapting from Shakespeare and offers his perspective on what allowed the series to be engaging for audiences while still remaining true to Shakespeare’s vision. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 37610]

Ilan Stavans of Amherst College, discusses The Seventh Heaven: Travels through Jewish Latin America (2020). In this travelogue, Stavans talks to families of the desaparecidos in Buenos Aires, to “Indian Jews,” and to people affiliated with neo-Nazi groups in Patagonia. He also visits Spain to understand the long-term effects of the Inquisition, the American Southwest habitat of “secret Jews,” and Israel, where immigrants from Latin America have reshaped the Jewish state. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Humanities] [Show ID: 37322]

Filmmaker and author Cheryl Foggo joins moderator Stephanie Batiste for a virtual discussion of Foggo’s new documentary, John Ware Reclaimed. The film follows Foggo’s quest to recover the story of John Ware, a Black cowboy and rancher who settled in Alberta, Canada prior to the turn of the twentieth century. In conversation with Batiste, Foggo addresses how Ware’s story illuminates histories of Black settlement and anti-Black racism in the Canadian west, touching on questions of national myth-making, intergenerational kinship, and identity across borders. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 37195]

Writer/director Sourav Sarangi discusses his 2012 documentary, Char...The No Man's Island, focusing on the challenges and opportunities of working in the India/Bangladesh borderlands. Joined by moderator Bhaskar Sarkar, Sarangi recounts his inspiration for making the film, the struggles he faced during production, and the importance of telling this unique story of life on the border. Char...The No Man's Island follows Rubel, a fourteen-year-old boy who makes a living for his family working as a smuggler around the border island of Char. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 37072]

Moderator Diane Fujino joins activist and documentary subject Mike Africa Jr. for a discussion of Tommy Oliver’s new documentary, 40 Years A Prisoner. A riveting chronicle of the controversial 1978 Philadelphia police raid on the radical back-to-nature group MOVE, 40 Years a Prisoner follows Africa Jr.’s decades-long fight to free his parents from prison in the aftermath. Together, Fujino and Africa Jr. discuss how Oliver’s documentary situates the MOVE raid within a longer history of police violence against Black communities in Philadelphia, and the lasting impact of MOVE’s radical philosophy. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 37108]

Actor, director, producer, and comedy icon Henry Winkler joins moderator Matt Ryan for a discussion of his work on the hit HBO comedy, Barry. Barry stars Bill Hader as a depressed, low-rent hitman from the Midwest who reluctantly travels to Los Angeles to execute a hit on an aspiring actor. In conversation with Ryan, Winkler provides an in-depth look at his character Gene Cousineau, while also recounting some highlights from his prolific, multi-decade career in television and film. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 37110]

Writer/director Catherine Hardwicke discusses her directorial debut film, Thirteen, a realistic drama of an innocent teenage girl thrown into a curious world of rebellion, sex, and drugs. In conversation with moderator Matt Ryan, Hardwicke discusses the process of working with co-writer Nikki Reed to capture the reality of Reed’s own teen years, and to transform them in turn into this harrowing yet relatable film. Hardwicke also discusses the joys and challenges of directing, touching briefly on her other directorial work, Twilight. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 37106]

Hester Blum, David Clark, and Korenna Estes discuss the film Frozen Obsession, which follows the 18-day, 2,000-mile Northwest Passage Project expedition through the stunningly beautiful and extreme Canadian Arctic, aboard the Swedish research icebreaker Oden. In conversation with Ian Kellett, Blum, Clark, and Estes discuss the process of making the documentary and the lessons they learned as a part of this project, as well as larger issues of climate change. Frozen Obsession follows the expedition of some of the many scientists who are racing to understand a fast-warming Arctic, exploring how environmental changes currently unfolding in the polar regions will affect life on a planetary scale. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 37105]

In conversation with moderator Sara Pankenier Weld, filmmaker Holly Morris discusses her 2015 documentary, The Babushkas of Chernobyl. The film offers an intimate look at the remarkable women who continue to live, fish, and forage in the shadow of the ruined Chernobyl nuclear power plant, having refused to leave their homes following the 1986 explosion at reactor 4. Morris details the triumphs and challenges of making this film, the ongoing impacts of the Chernobyl disaster, and the power of community in the face of adversity. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 37107]